Lost Smile
by Kindlehope
Summary: Insight on Yuya's thoughts toward Reira, his determination to protect him and bring back his smile, and some sweet interaction between them while spelling out Yuya's feelings toward Reira. No yaoi, just Yuya being Reira's temporary big brother. Broadens on scenes from episode 58 and 67, gives more depth to their bond. A sweet read.
1. Smile

**May cause confusion if you haven't seen episodes 56 and 58.**

 **Am I the only one who treasures the moments between Yuya and Reira? I love seeing Yuya being so gentle toward Reira and fill in for Reiji until they find him. Yuya's way with children inspires me to treat children the same way. I love Yuya's goal of bringing Reira's smile back, so I broadened on a scene from episode 58 and wrote this. Enjoy! I would really appreciate it a review. I'm critical of my own writing and hearing others like it means the world to me. :)**

* * *

Selena uncrossed her knees and stood from her position on the couch, striking Crow with a sharp glower. "So the city is covered in Security, you're saying?" She mockingly lifted her arms at her side into a shrug and closed her eyes while looking away. "That's why you came back with your tail between your legs."

Crow's eyes narrowed. "What was that!?"

Yuya shot out of his chair, shocked by Selena's incivility. "Hey!"

Selena looked back toward Crow, fearlessly meeting his eyes. "You have no information on Yuzu?"

"Selena!" Yuya rebuked. "Crow has already done so much to help us…" He didn't want to yell, but inside he could only think, _You ungrateful brat!_

"Even if you work hard, if you don't get any results, it's meaningless!" Selena turned and walked toward the front door.

"Where are you going?" Yuya demanded.

"Isn't it obvious?" she replied. "I'm going to search for information on my own."

"If you want to get caught that badly, then go right ahead!" Crow challenged warningly.

Sawatari stood from his seat. "Then I guess I'll go right ahead as well. Being cooped up in a place like this is suffocating!" He walked over to join Selena. "I'm going to find leads to where Akaba Reiji is."

Reira, who was on the floor against a wall with his knees tucked to his chest, raised his head with hopeful eyes. "Brother?" He rose to follow the LDS student.

"Hold on!" Yuya insisted as Selena opened the door. "If you just go off on your own like that, we'll be split up again—" He ran over to the door and grabbed Reira by the shoulders. "Reira!"

Sawatari glanced back with a huff of defiance and slammed the door shut.

"Ah jeez, now what do we do…" Yuya held Reira in his arms from behind as the child struggled to escape with panicked whimpers. Yuya looked down at Reira, his expression pained.

Yuya wanted to search for Yuzu and Reiji just as badly, even if it was unwise. He had been itching to do so ever since arriving at Crow's place. But it wasn't only dangerous…Reira's safety was in Yuya's hands. Serena and Sawatari didn't concern themselves with him at all. That made Yuya feel obligated to care for the child.

As much as Yuya wanted to find Yuzu, Yuya wouldn't take Reira into such danger, and neither would he leave Reira alone with children and adults he was uncomfortable with. Reira was nearly silent with everyone, but Yuya felt that Reira was more comfortable with him than the others. He had seen this when first arriving in Synchro and being walled off by Security and forced to duel. He had to put Reira in the midst of an action duel to fight the officers. Although Reira was still frightened by the end and he hadn't smiled or laughed at all, Yuya noticed that he boy's screams had quieted and he had started to duck closely behind Yuya in danger, sometimes clutching his jacket. To Yuya it signified a basic trust had possibly formed between the two.

If that were true, Yuya wouldn't break that trust. He would stay behind and look after Reira in Akaba Reiji's place. He could look for Yuzu when it was safer, as much as that logic killed him inside. She was with Yugo now, and hopefully he was taking care of her. He would wait a few days to search, and by then perhaps Security will have calmed down.

Yuya slightly loosened his hold around Reira. Glancing down, Yuya could see the longing in Reira's eyes and hear the desperation in his small cries. It was heartbreaking. Reira…quiet, scared, withdrawn, and lost without his older brother. His eyes looked so sad and hollow. Yuya felt a powerful determination to cause Reira's smile to surface again. All children should smile and be happy. But suddenly Yuya realized why he felt so obligated to make Reira happy.

Looking at Reira, scared and withdrawn without his brother there, Yuya suddenly realized why he was so concerned for the boy. Reira reminded Yuya of himself after his father went missing. Yuya would cling to his mother like Reira clung to Reiji, but outside of her he was just a longer, quiet and lonely, like Reira. He wasn't confident in himself, and couldn't take harsh words from anyone, so his mother's praise meant the world to him, like what Reiji's meant to Reira. As a child, Yuya had retreated within himself in the same way that Reira currently was for unknown reasons. And Yuya yearned to pull Reira out of this state like he had had to do himself not too long ago, to rebuild Reira like he had rebuilt himself. Yuya didn't know exactly why Reira had lost his smile. He just knew that he wanted to bring it back.

Yuya's hold on Reira turned into a gentle hug before he let go. Reira turned to face Yuya with tears in his desperate eyes.

"I'm sorry, Reira." Yuya set his hand on Reira's left shoulder and smiled softly. "I can't have you get caught and sent away. For now we have to stay here until things calm down. But I promise we'll find your brother soon. Just trust me."

Yuya thought he saw something kindle in Reira's eyes. Was it hope? Trust? Before he could discern it, Reira dipped his head, hiding his face beneath the brim of his hat. The boy nodded in understanding and returned to sit against the same wall as before while clutching his teddy bear in silence. Yuya stood and looked on sadly. He set his jaw in determination.

 _Reira, I'll get you back to your brother_ , Yuya swore. _And when I do, someday…I'll bring back your smile._


	2. Protect

_Not as good as my first chapter, but I realized I could add new chapters for significant interactions between Yuya and Reira, so here's this. **Q** **uotes and writes part of episode 67. Spoilers, of course.**_

 _Reira lacking a sense of self and his ability to mindlessly follow orders reminds me so much of what I was like during my few years of verbal and emotional abuse. ;_; I always felt a connection with him. His backstory in this episode explained why. Changing himself to satisfy the needs of others... It's the exact situation I had to go through in my attempt to have a relationship with my mother. Be what she wanted me to be, not what I was. I changed myself for her, hoping it would be enough. (It wasn't.) Reira loses his own sense of self for Reiji, and it both saddens me and enrages me. I want to write about Reira because he reminds me so much of myself. That's why I love him._

 _Anyway, read on and **please review!** Even a short review! Love you!~_

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Reira charged into the room, knocking the door attendant to the side in his hurry. The boy rushed over to Yuya, his head bent and his eyes closed. Reira collided with Yuya, knocking him back onto the bed in a sitting position as Reira hugged him around the waist, burying his head in Yuya's stomach.

"R-Reira!" Yuya exclaimed. Glancing down at the boy, he asked in alarm, "What are you doing here?" Reira said nothing, only tightened his hold on Yuya and whimpering, fighting back what sounded like sobs. Yuya didn't understand. "Re-Reira…what on Earth is the matter?" Yuya pressed.

"Excuse me."

Yuya looked to the door as Akaba Reiji appeared in sight. He stood tall, his scarf thrown back behind him, a determined glare in his eyes as he saw Yuya and Reira. Silently he walked toward the two. Yuya glanced down at Reira and tried to set a comforting hand on his hood, but the boy flinched. Yuya withdrew, then bowed his head with his eyes closed as he set a hand on each shoulder to protectively hold Reira away from Reiji.

"What are you thinking?" Yuya could only manage barely above a whisper in his anger. "Why are you making Reira fight too?! Reira's only a child." Yuya clenched the boy's shoulders tightly. "Even in LDS, he's from the Junior class. And yet… Why is he getting dragged into a tournament that even the Duel King Jack Atlas is a part of?!"

Yuya fought back tears. He was sad, but moreso he was angry. He felt as much hate in that moment as he remembered feeling in his berserk states brought upon by Yuto in the Battle Royale. Why did a child have to be part of this? This war, a looming interdimensional war? People would get hurt, and people would die. For now they were in the Synchro dimension, away from the war itself, but this dimension had its own dangers. Its society was messed up. No way in hell would Yuya watch Reira go out there and have to duel on a D-Wheel, then become overwhelmed, lose, and get sent underground for forced labor. Yuya didn't doubt Reira's dueling abilities. He was sure they were good; Reiji must have raised him to duel strongly. Yuya hadn't seen much of his dueling yet, but Reira's win against Ayu seemed effortless. Still, despite his abilities, the child was _afraid_. There's no way he could manage a D-Wheel at his young age. He shouldn't be involved in all this. He should be at home, with his mother, safe as his older brother fights with enough strength for the two of them. Reiji, of all people, should have the strength to do that.

Yuya moved his hands to hug Reira around the head, bending down to do so. "No, even before that… Why did you put Reira in the Lancers?!"

Yuya's rage poured into his words as he rambled on about how everyone but Reira had their own reasons for joining the Lancers, and how Reira couldn't possibly have done so with his own free will. He stated that he was ready to face danger, and he was sure the others were too. Reira was a child; he couldn't have felt ready to face danger, no matter his abilities, simply because of his age. Yuya was so angry that he trembled, but his words came clearly and forcefully. Then his voice rose as he accused Reiji of having brought Reira with him against the child's will.

"Why did you bring such a young child with you?! Answer me!" Yuya screamed. He lifted his head as his rage overflowed into a furious, hateful expression, teeth clenched and facial muscles strained. "Akaba Reiji!"

Despite his state, Yuya noticed that Reira failed to flinch at his yelling. Usually the child grew wary around any form of contention. Why not now, with someone yelling right over his head? _Is he not afraid of me?_ Yuya wondered. _Is it because…I'm protecting him?_

Yuya sat still as Reiji began his explanation. Yuya heard about Reiji's desire for Reira to gain combat experience. Then he heard Reiji state that Reira was vital to the fight against Academia. He was stunned by that possibility, and faltered in his anger. The child now trembling in his arms was "necessary" in their fight against Academia? A child, necessary in war?

Reiji continued. "Whether you believe it or not—"

" _Shut up_ …"

"In time, the truth will—"

"I told you to shut up!" Yuya screamed. He fought back tears and told Reiji about Reira being afraid ever since arriving in the City. He told him about Reira's desire to find him, and yelled at Reiji for his apathy toward Reira in only bringing him because he was "necessary" to a fight. Reiji listened, but his expression was impossible to read. There was no remorse, no anger in return. His lack of emotion only drove Yuya further.

"I won't let Reira participate in a battle where he might be sent to some forced labor facility to serve as an example!"

Yuya pressed his hands closer to Reira's head, feeling through the boy's hood and his hat with his tighter hold. His voice became solemn and determined as he stated his own desire to Reiji.

"If you won't protect him… _I'll_ protect Reira!"

Yuya glared at Akaba Reiji with heated crimson eyes that dared his leader to argue. He was now certain of his bond with Reira. He had only wondered a few weeks earlier, but now he was sure. Reira trusted him and saw him too as an "older brother", even if not on the same level of Reiji. Reira still trusted him, and Yuya would not break that trust. He would not let Reira go unprotected. Reira was too young and emotionally weak to fight for himself, no matter his dueling abilities.

Reiji wasn't fighting on Reira's behalf. And if Reiji wasn't going to fight for him, Yuya gladly would. He would be the one to protect Reira. He was going to bring back his smile. Yuya didn't know what Reira had been through that made him lose his confidence and his happiness, but he was going to make Reira strong again.

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 _Friendly reminder that Yuya has never seen Reira smile, so he considers Reira's smile as lost. (And yes, Reira's true smile **is** lost. He only smiles for Reiji, and it's a manipulated smile. So his true smile is lost, in my opinion.)_


End file.
